…oh, and other New Hampshire Fisher Cats games, too!

All we ever hear about on the news is how expensive everything is. Some people despair, and wonder how they can ever afford to have any fun this summer! Well, Minor League Baseball to the rescue!

Looking for something fun to do on the Fourth, but don’t want to break the bank? Sure, you could go into Boston and camp out by the Esplanade all night, in the hope of getting some good grass space for the evening’s Pops and fireworks festivities. Yeah, it’s free, and I think they still let you bring in coolers, so you don’t have to buy the overpriced food they sell there. But then you’d be dealing with a mob scene, long lines at the restrooms, and, if you choose to drive into the city, hefty parking fees.

OR…you can spend much less, not have to worry about getting there at 5AM, and not have to deal with expensive parking and huge mobs…by going to the Fisher Cats game on the Fourth. Ticket prices are as low as four bucks…click on the seating chart to the left to see the four-buck section (opens in new window, comes complete with the view from these seats). Yellow seats are those that haven’t been sold yet, and are available to you. Please note that I took this screenshot at about noon today, there probably won’t be this many seats available.

To see where these seats are in relation to the rest of the ballpark, and to see what other seating options are available, check out the MerchantsAuto.com seating chart.

The Fisher Cats (double-A Toronto Blue Jays) will be playing the dreaded Trenton Thunder (double A Y*****s). After the game, there will be an Atlas Fireworks Spectacular…they are advertising TWICE the fireworks for the Fourth, than in other Atlas shows. I’ve seen these Atlas fireworks shows at MerchantsAuto.com Stadium before, and they are impressive.

As for parking, here’s a money-saving tip…IGNORE those privately-owned lots that you see, the ones that charge ten bucks. You can park on the street (Commercial Street and some of the side streets) for free, or close to it. I know that the meters are free after 8PM during the week, and free all day on Saturday and Sunday. I have not been able to find out what the deal is for on a holiday. It doesn’t say so on the meters, and no one from the city of Manchester has answered my emails.

When in doubt, pay. The ballpark will open at 6PM. Meters are free after 8PM. I think they cost 50 cents an hour before that. So park at 6PM, pay a buck, and you’ll be fine for the night. I recommend getting there early if you want one of these on-street spaces.

Now, you may think that you don’t want to park on the street, because it’s a bit of a hike from there to the ballpark, and you don’t feel like walking that far. Well, the Fisher Cats and sponsor Auto City have thought of that, and they’ve teamed up to provide a free shuttle bus, from the outlying street parking area, direct to the gates of the ballpark. It’s a little white bus, with Fisher Cats’ eyes painted on the front, and “free ride to the game” and the Auto City logo on the side. You’ll know it when you see it.

The New Hampshire Fisher Cats - more fun than the Esplanade thing, affordable, you get baseball AND fireworks, and you don’t have to wait in long lines to go to the bathroom! How can you beat that?

Visit http://www.nhfishercats.com for more info, and to order tickets.